Blog

Zero House: The Home of the Future?

The world is becoming more crowded, and it’s no secret that unless we start building homes in a more energy efficient, affordable way, we’re going to run into some problems. But one company may have already come up with a solution: ZeroHouse. The Zero House is a completely self-sufficient, easily assembled house for up to four people, and it can go anywhere. Yes, anywhere.

February 28, 2014

8 Fictional Homes You Wish Were Real

We know the feeling: You’re in the middle of reading an amazing book, or watching an engrossing film, and suddenly, a place is described that you’d kill to visit even just once. Only you can’t. Because it’s not real. What injustice! How inhumane! Is there anything more unfair? In this post, we’ve collected some of our favorite fictional homes, homes we know that you’ll drool over as well.

February 27, 2014

10 Awesome Secret Rooms and Entrances

So you want to make your home a little more stylish, perhaps even a bit unpredictable. Adding an element of surprise to your home is easy when you install a secret room. Go through our top ten list to get inspired. After you’ve reached the end, you’ll have more than enough ideas to create the perfect lair for your supervillain alter-ego, or simply make your house a tad more awesome.

February 1, 2014

5 Home Fixes You Should Never DIY

As contractors, we completely understand the personal satisfaction that comes from completing a home repair project all by yourself. It’s fun, and it can reveal some skills you never knew you had. However, there are some projects that you should always leave to the professionals, no matter how experienced you are at DIY’ing other repairs and upgrades. Not even if someone put up an “easy” Youtube instructional video. And especially not if your friend’s brother has some applicable fix-it tips he learned while living in a Frat house. We’ve made a list of the top 5 repairs you should never handle on your own, and give you a quick breakdown of exactly why.

January 28, 2014

Choosing Paint Colors Based on Room Types

Adding a fresh coat of paint to your home’s interior is an exciting way to completely change the atmosphere. But the trick is getting the kind of atmosphere that best suits each room. After all, you don’t want your bedroom to feel too energizing, or your bathroom to feel imposing. This can make selecting paint colors a bit more complicated, which is why we’ve made this short and simple guide for choosing hues that fit.

January 24, 2014

Furnishing and Decorating Awkward Spaces

While creative architecture can make a home truly unique, it can also make it a bit more troublesome to work with. Strange angles, random nooks, and sporadic columns are just some of the things that can create furnishing confusion. If you have a home with one or more such awkward spaces, you’ll benefit from reading our must-know tips for accommodating their distinguishing design.

January 24, 2014

Win a Pair of Senators Tickets at the Home Renovation Show!

January is here and that means it’s time for the annual Home Renovation Show! OGC will be onsite with booths, presentations, advice and, of course, contests!Taking place January 24-26 at the Ernst & Young Centre, the show is an opportunity for anyone interested in renovating or upgrading their current home to get inspired! Billed as a one-stop shopping experience for the latest in renovating, upgrading and planning ideas, designers, professional renovators and local building experts will be there and available to help you with your renovation.

January 22, 2014

Making Modern Design Family Friendly

If you’re raising a family of little ones, you probably learned quite quickly just how much your furnishing needs have changed. But having these new limitations...

January 21, 2014

OGC's Favourite Home Design Blogs of 2013

The explosion of home renovation and DIY blogs in the past couple years has been astounding - it's great to see so many creative people share their...

January 12, 2014

Home Renovation Series, Part 6: Second Storey Additions

Sometimes building up is a better option than building down (adding a basement) or building out (adding a room or wing to your home...

December 31, 2013

Home Renovation Series, Part 5: Deck Additions

A deck isn’t just a way to maximize space (and room for friends when you’re having summertime parties). It’s also a great way to add...

December 23, 2013

How Energy Efficient Windows Save You Money

Saving energy is the watchword when it comes to home construction, and energy-efficient windows are the vanguard of the trend.

December 20, 2013